K for Kickable
by berry-cool
Summary: K-2SO: His name is more than just a model designation. He is more than a bastion of sass. He is more than merely one of the best droids to have in a sensitive situation... or is he? Jyn and Cassian find out. Part of Rogue One: Encore - will enhance your enjoyment of And the Stars Above Us (Parts 1 - 3), but having read those stories is not necessary.


K-2SO liked his power-down periods, not that he'd ever admit that to the humans, with their smug attitude whenever they did something as menial as go to the toilet or the way they assumed he'd go along with everything they said. No, he knew he was a droid and found the more time he spent around humans the more he became proud of the distinction. It was like he heard Han say once: 'take the gungan out of water and you'll find that instead of trying to fit in, they just become more damn gungan'. Now, Kaytoo found several problems with that phrase, least of all that gungans did not change when it came to annoyance even when out of water, but beneath the hodge podge of words he understood what Han was trying to get at, and he knew it rang true for himself.

He'd get back to base, spend a bit of time with the other droids and realise that both droids and organic life forms could be an utter nightmare, just in different ways. When that thought came to surface, he remembered that actually, Cassian wasn't that bad. He might even call Cassian 'alright'. On a good day.

No, he'd never admit to the others that he'd enjoy his power down episodes because then they'd joke that he was basically human after all because he slept like they did, which was, in fact, nonsense. He had tried to explain to Cassian several times that powering down was far superior to human sleep because of the millions of processes they could do at the same time while all humans did when they slept was twitch a bit, or have dreams they couldn't remember in the morning, or at best get up whilst still sleeping without realising it only to fall off a cliff. He thought that last anecdote rather amusing, but Cassian hadn't laughed. Instead he had shrugged and told Kaytoo with a smirk that no matter what he said, Cassian was still going to take it to mean that he rested like other organic life forms did.

Kaytoo didn't quite understand why since then he had taken to powering down in the most private places or at the most private times he possibly could. Perhaps it was because he didn't want to be human... because it implied that he would be susceptible to the same mistakes Cassian was, which might mean that one day he'd slip and make a mistake, and wouldn't be able to protect his friend. Or perhaps it was because being human meant that he would somehow be more mortal than if he was just another hardy droid, which suggested that one day he might end up scrapped or destroyed and he'd never be able to see Cassian through until the end of the long life Kaytoo intended him to have. Or perhaps it was because it meant that just one day, he would be more likely to end up parted from his friend in some stupid, asinine illogical way. He had seen that happen to humans with other humans all the time, relationships falling apart because the idiots just couldn't think it out and make it work. He observed how humans and droid friendships had been different, but if he was becoming more human he thought... Well, the more Kaytoo thought about it the more he felt he needed more hobbies. Perhaps there was a new game released from those tech-heads on Cloud City that he'd be able to download. The stars knew he needed a new challenge to flex his digital muscles after conquering level three-billion, four thousand and seventy-two (new levels yet to be released) on Snake.

This evening Kaytoo was sitting silently in a corner powered-down whilst dozens of different thoughts, scraps of information and data dumps whizzed around his system.

He was in a quiet corner of the main hangar. Usually he'd power down in the small alcove outside Cassian's quarters, taking the break after the Captain had gone to sleep and taking care to reboot before Cassian awakened. But tonight he didn't know where Cassian was and instead Kaytoo decided that in a quite spot of the hangar was the safest and least offensive place.

He made an effort to slow down the whizzing data in his system so that he could enjoy the rest and was about to replay one of his top ten favourite moments in his favourite sitcom 'Where's My Bantha?' when he heard Cassian's voice, soft from what must have been around the hangar doors.

"... my mother loved that song too," he heard the voice say. "I mean, it wasn't called that where I grew up but, I think I memories of her singing it to me."

"Really?" said a second voice, one just as hushed, one laced with the same tone of... of hope... "My father used to hum it to me, and he said his mother did the same to him before that."

And then Kaytoo caught the strains of a song, one which he had heard the Captain sing before, when he thought no one was listening.

"You must teach me your language," he heard the female voice say, one that was filled with such determination even when regarding something as non life-threatening as learning a language that any doubt Kaytoo had Cassian's companion was Jyn Erso was immediately removed. "It sounds beautiful."

"Ai," Cassian replied bashfully. "Beauty in the eye of the beholder, you know."

Their voices were getting louder now, louder to the point where they must have been really quite close to where he was. Footsteps halted.

"I... I was thinking," said Jyn. "Perhaps we could get some hot coco? I know it's late but - and no one knows this - but it helps me sleep, sometimes."

"I would love some hot coco," Cassian, and Kaytoo could vouch for that -

"He certainly loves hot coco, for I have seen him and Sergeant Dameron down over four mugs each in one sitting. Preparing for early diabetes if the Empire doesn't get them first, I'm sure -"

And then Kaytoo realised he had said that last bit out loud.

He booted his vision and registered the faces of Jyn and Cassian staring at him tucked in his little corner; but most importantly, Kaytoo noticed their hands, his fingers lightly touching hers.

Kaytoo nodded in mock intent at the outburst.

"I just thought I'd back up your statement, Captain. You can thank me later."

Cassian narrowed his eyes, though Kaytoo saw the very light smile that also graced his lips.

"Remember when I got us shot at on Oovo IX because I got angry at the prison governor?"

"Yes," said Kaytoo slowly, wondering what he was getting at.

"And you told me you'd kick me hard if I ever shot my mouth off at such an important moment ever again?"

"Ye- oh," Kaytoo nodded, seeing the Captain's raised eyebrow. "Got it. As you are."

Kaytoo shook his head as the pair walked off in the direction of the canteen, fingers still intertwined.

"Kickable, me?" he muttered to himself. "He wouldn't. Besides, I'm made of metal. The Captain would just stub his toe, and if that's not a exercise in futility I don't know what is."

Kaytoo allowed his vision to slowly darken as he settled back into power-down mode. Jyn and the Captain were almost fully out of sight now, still shoulder to shoulder. He scoffed to himself in a way only a droid could.

"Kickable, indeed."


End file.
